Saturday 5 December saw a number of retailers in Sleaford participate in Small Business Saturday, a national day intended to encourage people to shop locally.

Some offered exclusive discounts for the day to encourage residents to shop safe and local in the town, while the Council launched its new shopping directory at businessnk.co.uk and provided bunting on a first-come first-served basis. There was a 100% increase in footfall on Saturday 5 December compared to figures before the national lockdown.

In its eighth year, Small Business Saturday 2020 coincided with the reopening of retail across the country and for most people the start of their Christmas shopping, all of which contributed to the increased footfall.

Owners of businesses across Sleaford commented on the success, as they saw an increase in customers on the Saturday and over the weekend, as people were particularly drawn in store after seeing the range of shops taking part and in particular the attractive discounts that were promoted across Facebook.

If you feel comfortable to do so, please continue to support high street retailers and shop local – doing so safely by following the Covid guidance and the measures in place at each establishment – over the Christmas period and into the New Year. If you don’t want to visit in person you could buy online or over the phone. Visit our business directory to find contact details for your favourite shops.

You can also support businesses that have remained closed during the Tier 3 Very High alert level in place, by using takeaway or click and collect services. It’s more important than ever to support local businesses in the current climate.

Small Business Saturday has big impact